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What if someone wants to buy one of your photos or license an image for stock usage. How much should you charge?

If you ever find yourself trying to answer this question, then you should just plunk down the money and get fotoQuote Pro.

fotoQuote by Cradoc Software has been the definitive, industry standard for stock and assignment pricing software for over 20 years, and they’ve just upgrade the program to version 7.

This new update features a large number of new stock usage types, including social media, apps, mobile content and even stock footage. In total, 86 new categories have been added, which means that fotoQuote now has info for over 300 possible stock photo usage types.

It also contains updated assignment photography line item pricing and video editing, as well as a database for your clients if you use the program as a standalone version. fotoQuote Pro is included in Cradoc’s comprehensive photography business software package, fotoBiz X, which includes a client database, but if you already have a client/billing solution, then you’d probably just want the stand alone version of fotoQuote.

In addition to the pricing calculator, fotoQuote has a number of other powerful features that can help you run your photography business more efficiently. The Usage Tips and Coach sections gives you valuable insight that will help you negotiate with your client in order to close the sale and get the best price for your images. It tells you what questions to ask and provides detailed information about different types of uses, and even gives you sample phone scripts.

In the new Version 7, the Usage tips and Coach sections have been overhauled in order to reflect the most relevant info and usage types in the rapidly changing industry.

The Stock Quote section lets you build stock photo quotes for your clients that include image thumbnails and all the usage details. This is a great tool, because it gets everything in writing and reduces any possible miscommunications about the deal that might be forgotten down the road.

The new Assignment Photography Price Guide included in fotoQuote Pro 7 is packed with information about good practices, assignment pricing strategies and negotiating tips that have been compiled from a list of working pro photographers.

This section features tips for pricing a wide range of photography jobs, from small editorial shoots to large scale advertising or corporate assignments that command very big budgets, and even video productions. With over 35 coaching tips, you’ll get the pricing and copyright information you need to tackle any number of shoot types, no matter how big or small.

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Great program for pricing images. A must have if you freelance. #Fotoquote #photojournalism

Yunghi Kim

fotoQuote iOS Mobile App

With the new release, Cradoc has created an companion iOS version of fotoQuote Pro 7, and if you order or upgrade before December 31, you’ll get it at no additional cost. (Sorry, no Android right now.) I’m really excited about this, because it means I can use fotoQuote when I’m away from my desk and laptop, or when traveling light with only an iPad.

If you sell or have any intention of selling your photos as stock, or if you shoot assignment work, fotoQuote Pro is a must-have solution for your photography business. With the information it provides, it will pay for itself with one job or sale, and it will help you get the price you deserve.

I’ve been a dedicated fotoQuote user for my entire 20+ year photography career and I swear by the program. Having coached many photographers over the year about how to price their photos, I cannot stress enough how valuable this program is. There is no other program on the market like this, so if you are looking for a way to price your work, this is it.

About 25 years ago, I read a little book called “The Seven Laws of Money” by Michael Phillips, and it had a profound impact on me.

I don’t usually get into self-help type books, but this one really struck a chord in me. I read it right around the time I went to Nepal with Galen Rowell as an aspiring professional photographer, and I still live my life according to the insight I gained from this brilliant little 130-page manual.

The first law of the book is based on the whole “Do what you love, and the money will follow” concept. The actual title of the chapter is “Do it! Money Will Come When You’re Doing The Right Thing,”

Now we’ve all heard that saying many times, but it’s important to understand what it really means, and how it can affect your life. First, however, let’s quickly establish what it doesn’t mean.

Just doing what you love isn’t an automatic recipe for getting rich, or finding success. This rings so true especially with photography and any creative idea, but that’s not why we do these things. In fact, if you enter any creative or propreneurial venture with preconceived notions about money or income, then you’re not doing it right.

The whole concept behind being a propreneur vs, an entrepreneur, is that you end goal is not to make money, it’s to spend your life doing what you enjoy, and this, according to the first law in Michael Phillips’ book, is the key to success.

“Do what you love and the money will follow,” basically says that money will come when you are doing the right thing. What is the right thing? It’s the thing that you love to do, and the craft, skill or area of knowledge that you’re willing to put in whatever time and energy are necessary in order to perfect.

The notion behind “Do What You Love” is about focusing almost all of your energies on your passion instead of worrying about the money. Sure, we all need money to survive, but if you truly have the passion and commitment to succeed at your skill, then you are likely to be resourceful enough to overcome whatever obstacles get thrown in your way.

Let’s equate this to photography. If you’re smart enough to figure out all the technical aspects of composition, lighting, and are able to find models, master the intricacies of light and expertly operate your camera with confidence, chances are you’re smart enough to figure out how to bring in the necessary cash to keep you afloat along the way. You’ll also be driven to make your life be what you want it to be, which could mean living more frugally in order to make this all work.

Keep in mind, this isn’t really about making money, it’s about finding success, and that doesn’t necessarily have to mean you’re trying to making a living at your creative venture. If you truly love what you do, your passion and dedication will open doors for you in the world, and every new door leads to a new opportunity.

And more importantly, even if you didn’t make money at it, or find success, whatever that means, you’d still be doing this thing because you love it so much. That’s how you know it’s THE RIGHT THING.

If you want to see a good example of this concept, check out the movie “Julie and Julia.” Based on a true story, the plot revolves around a young woman named Julie Powell who decides to follow her culinary passion by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s French cookbook and blogging about her experience as she goes along.

(Minor Spoiler Alert) The blog eventually gains a following and in the end she finds a certain level of success and recognition for her efforts. Of course, her road is not without a number of bumps and challenges, but that’s what makes everyones’ journey worth the effort, right?

They key here is that Julie didn’t set out to find success, she set out to complete a personal project she felt passionate about. She loved what she did, just as I love taking pictures. Sure, I make money at my craft, but when I find myself in the outdoors with my camera in my hand, money is that last thing I’m thinking about.

25 years later, my passion and drive for photography is still carrying me, and every year, I achieve a new level of success that has built on efforts that I made in the past. Nearly every aspect of my photography business revolves around carrying forth with an idea in the best way possible, and seeing where it takes me, and every day, I strive to be better at what I do, whether it’s shooting action photos, blogging about photography, or teaching workshops.

And it never ever feels like work.

Ultimately, success comes to those who are good at what they do. If you decide that photography is really what you want to do in life, even if it’s just your hobby and you have no intention of going pro, then focus on being the best photographer you can possibly be. Spend vast amounts of creative and intellectual energy honing your technical abilities, style and knowledge base about photography.

Most importantly, don’t worry about the money.. Be confident that you’ll figure out how to make ends meet. Worrying only saps energy that is better used for your photography. If you’re smart enough to be a self employed photographer, then you’re smart enough to figure out how to pay your bills.

Bottom line- if you pour your heart and soul into your photography, you’ll make the doors open yourself.

Once you start shooting professionally, whether full or part time, you quickly realize that actually shooting photos is the smallest chunck of time you’ll spend in a given day, week or month. The majority if your time is spent with organizational tasks, such as generating estimates and invoices, keeping track of clients and contacts and marketing.

If you don’t have a good workflow for these tasks, you’ll fall behind on your efficiency and get bogged down. The more successful you are, the more you need to be on top of your tasks, so good system is essential no matter how far along you are in your business.

I’ve struggled with efficiency at times, and throughout my career, I’ve tried a number of photography business software solutions to keep me on track. I always come back to fotoBiz and fotoQuote by Cradoc Software, though. These well thought out and affordable programs give you everything you need to manage a freelance photography business.

I’ve long been a fan of Cradoc applications. Back when I shot slides, I used Cradoc Captionwriter and I first used fotoQuote over 20 years ago while working at a small stock photo agency in Boston. I’m still using it today as part of the comprehensive program fotoBiz X.

No matter if you’re a full time or part time photographer, you need a good database for clients and contacts, creating estimates and invoices, pricing your photography, tracking sales, equipment, licenses and seeing what areas of your business are giving you the best return on your investments and time. In the past, I had a number of different types of forms, databases and spreadsheets scattered all over my computer; today, all of this stuff is in handled with one program: fotoBiz.

fotoBiz X

fotoBiz X is powerful photography business management software that does everything you need. It starts with contact management. After entering or importing your client details into the system, you can generate assignment estimates, stock quotes, invoices and over 100 other types of documents, forms, emails, letters and reports. You also have a section for prospective clients that where you keep track of your marketing efforts, and there’s even a section for stock production. This is where you can track exactly how much you put into, and get back from your photo shoots.

fotoBiz X also contains a large magazine database that shows you want certain publications charge for ad space. This can help you in your negotiation process, and it also provides basic contact information for each magazine. This can save you a huge amount of time over having to research each magazine if you’d like to submit photos or contact them for work.

Once you land a stock sale or an assignment, fotoBiz lets you easily create the proper invoice and license for that job. It keeps track of all of your open and closed invoices and lets you create reports and export the data for outside bookkeeping. There’s even a place to keep track of all of your equipment for insurance purposes. Also, fotoQuote Pro is built right into fotoBiz X.

From stock image sales and license tracking, pricing, release forms, an insurance list of all your gear, Quickbooks export, international currencies and a full activity log, fotoBiz is an indispensable tool for managing every single aspect of your photo business.

fotoQuote Pro

fotoQuote Pro is the definitive photography pricing guide and coaching system and it’s completely up-to-date with today’s stock photography markets, even with regards to online uses. There’s no other program like it.

Even if you only license an occasional photo to a client, the negotiating tips and pricing calculator will likely make the program pay for itself with just one or two sales.The latest version has over 86 new categories, including 30 web categories, and it even includes a section for pricing video.

fotoQuote also has a built-in assignment photography pricing coach, which helps you establish the right price, whether you’re shooting a small editorial job or a large budget project. With 38 coaching topics, fotoQuote gives you extremely helpful negotiating tips so you can approach any job with the right information.

As I mentioned above fotoQuote comes included in fotoBiz. It also comes as a standalone version if you already have a regular photo business software management system that works for you. Every working photographer should have a copy of fotoQuote.

No matter what level of shooter you are, if you want to earn money with photography, I highly recommend checking out these two programs. I think you’ll like what you see, they’re relatively inexpensive, and invaluable with regards to how much time, money and efficiency they’ll save you. They’re available for both Mac and Windows.

Years of research and work went into refining these programs. They address every single aspect that a photographer might face when dealing with clients or managing the day-to-day operations of running your business in an ever changing industry. Not only will these tools and templates let you streamline your business, you’ll just look more professional every time you reach out to a client.

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